Hopkins Giving Millions To University Neighborhoods

Andy Frank is the special advisor on economic development to the Johns Hopkins University president. He talks about what Hopkins is doing to help the neighborhood around the school. Download This File

Johns Hopkins University officials say that they will donate $10 million over the next five years to help communities surrounding its Homewood campus in Baltimore.

University President Ronald J. Daniels said Thursday that the future of the university is tied to the community.

In a statement, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake expressed her gratitude for the contribution: "I'm grateful to Johns Hopkins for stepping in at a time of scarce federal and state resources to get the communities' effort started and support it financially. I hope that other institutions, businesses and foundations will also get involved."

Daniels says the interests of the university's neighbors, including safe streets, workforce development, and eliminating blighted properties are also the interests of the university.

University officials say they hope to attract 3,000 new households as well as shops and cultural institutions to the neighborhoods in the next decade.

The university also announced plans to hire more city residents and increase supply purchases from local businesses owned by women and minorities.